Foundations in Applied Statistics (FiAS-1)

Mon 28 Oct, Mon 4 Nov 2019

Description

This is an introductory course for students who have little or no prior training in statistics. The module is divided between lectures, in which you'll learn the relevant theory, and hands-on practical sessions, in which you will learn how to analyze real data using the statistical package Stata.

You will learn:

The key features of quantitative analysis, and how it differs from other types of empirical analysis

Basic concepts: what is a variable? what is the distribution of a variable? and how can we best represent a distribution graphically?

Features of statistical distributions: measures of central tendency and dispersion

The normal distribution

The basics of formal hypothesis testing

Why statistical testing works

Statistical methods used to test simple hypotheses

How to use Stata

For best results, students should expect to do a few hours of private study and spend a little extra time in the computer labs, in addition to coming to class.